Railway car for freight trucks and the like



Jan. 29, 1963 FlG.l

c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 6Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR. CLIFFORD $.GQBY

Ma MM;

ATTYS.

Jan. 29, 1963 c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLIFFORD S. GOBY ATTYS.

Jan. 29, 1963 c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.5

INVENTOR. CLIFFORD S. GOBY "wad M ATTYS.

Jan. 29, 1963 c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.8

M IINVENTOR.

CLlFFORD SGOBY ATTYS.

Jan. 29, 1963 c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 5 E QJEE a;

it-EL INVENTOR. CLIFFORD S. GOBY ATTYS c. s. GOBY 3,075,479

RAILWAY CAR FOR FREIGHT TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 Jan. 29,1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 L ILL Q Q o o 1 o o 0 o l .l-

I w 64 w A ll "a fi U r: J J u an FIG.||

INVENTOR.

CLIFFORD s. GOBY ATTYS.

3,075,479 RATILWAY CAR FQR FREIGHT TRUiIKS AND THE LEKE Clifiord S.Gohy, 163% Wiibnr Ave, Cleveland 6, Qhio Filed Aug. 18, 1959, Ser. No.834,487 13 (Ilaims. (til. 105-455) The present invention relates torailway cars, especially to railway cars adapted to receive thereonremovable freight containers, freight trucks, trailers, or the like.

At the present time, there is a lot of commercial interest in and use ofvarious types of special railway cars that can be used for hauling largefreight containers thereon, or which may receive truck trailers thereonfor hauling the truck trailers or freight containers specified distancesand permitting their removal as units for delivery, or further shippingaction, as desired. Thus there has been quite a bit of activity in thedesigning and production of railway cars adapted to carry truck trailersthereon so that the truck tractor can directly pull a trailer, forexample, to a given railway car and deposit it thereon by some type ofendwise loading application. There have been efforts made to facilitatethe loading of these trailers onto railway cars and the attaching ofsuch trailers to the railway car for safety hauling them by freighttrain to their destination.

In all events, insofar as I am aware, nearly all of the constructionsproposed heretofore and in use at this time involve relatively tedious,costly loading and unloading operations, and they require either veryextensive railroad yard areas for loading the freight trailers onto therailway cars, or else the systems are only efficient with two or threerailway cars in a row and do not work well with longer freight carassemblies.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved freight car characterized by the provision of a rotatable loadcarrying body therein whereby side loading of the cars with freighttrailers or freight carrying compartments is facilitated.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forraising, lowering and turning a freight carrying platform provided on arailway car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel railway caradapted to carry freight trailers thereon at a minimum overall heightfor the railroad car with the freight trailer secured in a fixedposition on the railway car for transit.

Further objects of the invention are to provide novel hydraulic liftmeans in a railway car of the type described wherein a load supportplatform can be readily raised and lowered in the freight railway carand be carried in a recessed center portion of the car for freighttransit action; to provide novel roller means for furnishing easyturning and support action between a movable load platform in therailway car and support means provided therefor by which the loadplatform can be rotated about a center support trunnion therefor; toprovide novel, effective guide means in the side sills of the car sothat special lift members can be raised and lowered in a vertical planeonly for controlling the position of the load or support platformprovided therein; to provide special anchor members on portions of therailway car for engaging a freight trailer to position it fixedly on therailway car for transit.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Particular attention is now directed to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a novel railway car embodying theprinciples of the invention, with portions of the car being broken away;

ice

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the railway car of FIG. 1 with the rotarymovement of the load platform being indicated by the platform beingshown in its movement towards I a side loading or unloading position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken online 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 2, of a modified load carryingrailway car of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 88 ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is aside elevation, partially broken away longitudinally, of afurther modified railway car of the invention showing a freight trailerin a fixed carrying position thereon;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of one end portion ofthe railway car shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross section taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings andreferred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used tofacilitate comparison therebetween.

The present invention, generally speaking, relates to a railway carwherein the car has a reduced height center section extending the fullwidth of the car, and it has elevated end portions connected in aconventional manner with railway car trucks, and where the railway carcomprises a frame, a load carrying platform supported by the frame,trunnion means positioning the load carrying platform on the frame forarcuate and limited vertical movement on the reduced height portion ofthe car, support members extend longitudinally of the car adjacent eachside thereof and below the load platform, means operatively securing thesupport members to the frame for vertical movement of the supportmembers with relation to the frame, which support members engage theload platform on vertical upward movement by the last-named means, androller means are operatively connected between the load platform and thesupport members to facilitate arcuate movement of the load platform whencarried by the support members.

Having particular reference now to the details of the structure shown inthe accompanying drawings, a railway car is indicated as a whole by thenumeral 1. This railway car embodies the principles of the presentinvention and has included therein a set of conventional railway trucks2, 2 at each end of the car 1, which trucks 2 are secured byconventional means to the load carrying, or frame portion of the railwaycar 1. The railway car 1 has ends or load carrying decks 3 provided atthe ends of the railway car and which ends 3, 3 are of a fixed verticalheight, or position. The railway car 1 also has a vertically movablecenter portion provided therein carried by a vertically recessed portionof the railway car frame whereby a reduced height load support platformcan be provided intermediate the ends 3, 3 of the railway car.

The railway car 1 has suitable frame means that normally extend thelength thereof, and with the frame means generally comprising a centersill 4 made from a pair of channels 5, 5 placed in spaced, parallel,back-to-back relation, and a pair of side sills 6, 6 each of which ismade from a pair of channels 7 and 8 placed in spaced, parallel relationadjacent the lateral margins of the railway car 1. These center sills 4and side silis 6, 6 can be made from integral eyebeams, channel members,or equivalents, that smears would have portions cut therefrom on thelower surfaces thereof at the ends of the railway car to contour thesills over the trucks 2, 2 and would have portions cut or otherwiseremoved therefromat the tops thereof at the center portion of therailway car to provide for a reduced height center portion therein. Or,these center and side sills can be made from members of differentcontours at the ends and center portion of the railway car, as desired.in all events, the channels 5, '7 and 3 preferably have top and bottomflanges provided thereon either integral therewith, or welded or rivetedthereto, to aid in recnforcing such channels for load carrying action,and some or portions of the flanges may be formed from original parts ofthe beams cut therefrom and resecured thereto to different portionsthereof. Or the side sills and/ or center sills may be made from aplurality of vertically superimposed channels the adjacent flanges ofwhich are welded or riveted together.

A load platform is provided at the center of the railway car 1 andextends t e width thereof between the ends 3, 3 of the car. This loadplatform includes a plurality of transversely extending channels orbeams lull that may have members, such as a cover plate, or deck, 11secured to the upper surface thereof. Longitudinally extending paralleltie bars, or beams 12 extend the length of the load platform and aresecured to the unit of the deck ll and cross beams to to complete theload carrying portion of the load platform 9 it is an important featureof the present invention that the load platform d is pivotally orrotatably carried on the railway car 1 and to this end, trunnion means,such as a trunnion sleeve 13, is secured to and extends between thechannels 5, at the center of the recessed center portion of the railwaycar It, usually at the longitudinal center thereof. This trunnion sleeve13 extends above the center sill 4, and is adapted to receive a suitabletrunnion 14 therein. This trunnion 1 has a trunnion plate or bracket 15secured thereto and extending longitudinally of the railway car 1therefrom for engagement with a pair of the cross beams iii, in forminga part of the load platform 9 to transmit load from the load platform 9onto the trunnion 14 for support action in the trunnion sleeve 13. Thetrunnion sleeve 13 and trunnion 14- are operatively connected to provideand permit pivotal and vertical movement of the trunnion lain thereceiving and positioning sleeve 13. The trunnion I14 slidably engagesthe trunnion sleeve 13 for vertical movement with relation thereto.Pivotal movement of the trunnion lid is produced by external forcesapplied to the trunnion 14 through the load platform 9. The trunnion 14preferably has some type of conventional lubricating means, such asfabric wick means in having conventional lubricant material saturatingthe wick means 1%, carried by a portion of the trunnion 14 so thatlubricant can seep through holes 17 provided in the trunnion fit tolubricate the connection between the adjacent surfaces of the trunnionsleeve 13 and the trunnion lid.

t is a further feature of the invention that the trunnion 14 andtrunnion plate 15 are secured to the load platform 9 by means thatpermit some relative tipping movement therebetween. Hence cap members orsecuring brackets lids, 4, are suitably secured to the cross beams it?adjacent the trunnion 14 to loosely bridge over the ends 15:) of thetrunnion plate 15 but to permit limited tilting of the load platform ina transverse or longitudinal direction and slight arcuate freedom of thetrunnion, if desired. The ends 155 of t :e trunnion plate are of slightconvex curvature, top and bottom, to in permitting limited relativemovement of the load platform and the trunnion with minimum clearancetherebetween. The trunnion sleeve 13 has a flange 13:: thereon to aid insecuring the trunnion sleeve in position while the trunnion 1d also hasa top flange 14a thereon to fac litate its engagement with the trunnionplate 315.

Any desired cross frame means may be used in building the frame of therailway car and connect the center sill 4 to the side sills 6, 6.

it should be noted that in FIG. 3, the load platform 9 and meansassociated therewith is shown in a retracted or lowered verticalposition, whereas in MG. 1, such load platform is shown in its elevatedposition at which time the deck 11 thereon is parallel with the surfacesof the ends 3, 3 to facilitate movement of a truck or other loadingvehicle over the railway car 1 for depositing a tractor trailer, orother freight receptacle, onto the load platform 9 FIG. 3 of thedrawings best shows how the cross beams it? of the load platform 9, whenthe load platform is in its load carrying position for transit action,are received on and supported by the channels 5, '7 and 8, so that fixedload support or carrying action is provided for this load platform 9. Itis an important feature of the present invention that other loadcarrying or lifting means are provided in the railway car 1 forfacilitating rotational or arcuate movement of the load platform 9 whendesired for aiding in applying freight to, or removing it from the loadplatform A Hence a pair of elongate support members l5, 18 are providedin the railway car 1 and they extend the length of the reduced heightcenter portion of the railway car and protrude beyond the ends of thisload platform Q for operative association with the side sills 6, 6 ofthe car for vertical movement with relation to the frame or side sillsof the railway car ll. The support members 18 may comprise an I-beamwith the top flange thereon removed, a pair of back-to-back right anglessuitably secured together, or an equivalent member having a base flangel9 and a vertically upwardly extending web 20 thereon. These supportmembers 18 are received in the open centers or" the side sills 6, 6 andare retained centrally therein by suitable means, such as a plurality ofrollers 21, 21, journalled on brackets 22 secured to longitudinallyspaced portions of the web 20 so that the rollers 2.1, 21 are adapted toengage the inner surfaces of the side sills t5, 6 and be guidedvertically thereof. The webs preferably have load carrying ends 2?:usually vertically upwardly offset in the railway car i with relation tothe remainder of the webs 29, 2t and the reduced height center portionof the railway car. These ends 23 are shown in FIG. 5 and have asuitable base plate 24 secured thereto and extending laterallytherefrom. Such offset ends 23 and base plate 24 are provided on thesupport members it; to adapt them to be engaged by ertical liftcylinders 25, or similar means, received within the open centers of theside sills d, 6 adjacent the trucks 2, 2. The lift cylinders 25 may besecured in position by means of support plates 26 riveted, bolted, orotherwise secured to and extending between the lower margins of the sidesills 6, 6 whereby load on the support members 18 is transferred to andfrom the side sills through these base plates 26 and the lift cylinders25.

The lift cylinders 25 control the position of a support plunger orpiston 27 that extends from the cylinder and engages the base plat $24,with the position of such piston 23 being controlled by the supply ofhydraulic fluid to the lift cylinder 2:; through fluid supply conduits2S and These conduits 28 and 29 connect to a conventional source ofhydraulic pressure fluid (not shown) whereby hydraulic fluid will beforced into or be permitted to exhaust from four lift cylinders providedin the railway car 1. That is, a pair of lift cylinders 25, 25 willengage each of the support members id provided in the railway caradjacent the ends thereof so that a uniform lifting or lowering actionwill be provided for the load platform 9 and any load or freight carriedtheeby.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show that the upper members of the rollers 21, carried bythe web 20, extend above such web and are adapted to engage differentcross beams 16 of the load platform as the support members l3, l8 areraised up into engagement with the load platform 9 to lift it above theside sills and center sills in the railway car.

The rollers will then facilitate turning the load platform on itssupports.

Any conventional type of coupler means (not shown) can be secured tothe. railway car 1 for conventional coupling action to engage it toadjacent railway cars.

A modified type of load support, platform and associated means isshownin FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawings. In this instance,aload-platfo-rm 9a is shown and it has ,a pair of longitudinallyextending beams 12a provided on its upper surface. This modification ofthe railway car and load support platform is particularly adapted tofacilitate the movement of some type of a freight carrying body orarticle longitudinally along the load platform 9a. A dolly assembly 40is provided and it usually has a member, such as a load engaging hook41, pivotally secured thereto and extending therefrom for engaging amember, such as a freight receptacle or body 42. The dolly assembly 40includes a plurality of pulleys or sheaves 43, 43 that are suitablyjournalled on a center bracket 44 of the dolly assembly. These sheaves43, 43 are adapted to engage the laterally inner flanges of the beams12a. The bracket or frame 44 has a control cable 45 secured thereto,extending around a pulley 46 journalled at one end of the load supportplatform 9a, and returning to a control winch 47 secured to the loadplatform 9a at the end thereof remote from the pulley 46. This winch 47can be of conventional design and can be controlled by mechanical orpower means, as desired (not shown). In all events, by the use of thewinch 47, one can move the freight container or compartment 42 onto orfrom the load platform 9, and this load platform ha can rotate about thejournal or trunnion means provided therefor as in the other embodimentof the invention for loading and unloading action. The control cable 45may extend around another pulley (not shown) adjacentthe winch .47 orelse extend directly to a load to aid in moving load from the loadplatform 90.

With reference to the modification of the structure shown in FIGS. 9,and 11, in this instance a railway car lb is shown that has a depressedheight center portion 50 provided therein as in the other embodiments ofthe invention. A load support platform 91; is pivotally positioned inthis lowered height center portion 50, by trunnion means as previouslydescribed. Usually the center load platform 9 is of the length of afreight container, or trailer received thereon. However, when desired,this freight container, such as a conventional trailer 51, may be longerthan the load platform 9b, as shown. Thus in order to support thistrailer 51 for safe transit on the railway car lib, a plurality ofsupport members are provided at the opposite elevated end portions ofthe railway car. A pair of parallel eyebeams 52 and 53 usually aresecured to the deck of the railway car lb for longitudinallystrengthening the floor or deck thereon, and support members ofconventional or desired design are provided for engaging means, such asthe fifth wheel and/or king pin 54, of the trailer 51. In thisembodiment of the invention, a pair of beams 55 and 56 are shownremovably secured, as by bolts, to the beams '52 and S3 to extendupwardly therefrom, and other support beams, members, or sections 57 and'58, usually of shorter length than the other beams 52 and 53 and 55 and56, are removably secured to the beams 55 and 56, respectively. Theactual load carrying member in this instance comprises a support orfifth wheel or king pin engaging plate 59 that is suitably secured tothe beams 57 and 55 to form a support unit therewith. The plate 59 hasan aperture 61 therein to engage with the king pin 54 and associatedplate of the trailer 51. A similar removable support structure weusually is provided at the opposite end of the railway car 1 and it isadapted to engage an end portion of this trailer when the load supportplatform 9b is lowered down into its recessed position in the railwaycar. Until load is 6 transferred to these support plates 59 at the endsof the car, the load will be carried by the wheels 61?. on the trailerand the conventional carrier assembly 63 provided adjacent the forwardend of the trailer.

,As another feature ofthis embodiment of the invention, preferably theload support platform 9b has a plurality of rollers64, FIG. 11, securedthereto with their longitudinally extending axes parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the railway car. These support rollers or casters64 are suitably journalled on bracket means or similar members 65carried by the reenforcing beams 66 forming a part of the load platform9b. These rollers 64 on opposite sides of the reenforcing beams 66 areoffset from each other laterally to provide roller support meanscontinually engaging the side or center sills of the railway car whenthe load platform 91; is being turned.

In any of the embodiments of the invention, preferably some type ofmechanical means are provided for turning or moving the load supportplatform through arcs for loading and unloading purposes. Thus in FIG. 2of the drawings, typical control apparatus is shown. This apparatuscomprises a hydraulically operated cylinder that has a control piston orrod 71 extending therefrom. The cylinder '70 is secured pivotally at oneend thereof through universal joint means, as by abracket '72, to andextends laterally from a side sill 6 of the railway car. The piston rod71 is likewise pivotally secured, as by a bracket 73, to a portion ofthe frame of the load support platform, such as a cross beam 19.Conventional pressure supply conduits and control means (not shown)connect to this cylinder '70 for reciprocating a piston therein ineither direction for positively moving the load platform to swing it to'a side loading-position, or to bring it back into alignment with therailway car, as desired. This arcuate movement of the load platformusually is provided for an arcuate length of approximately 45, butfurther pivotal action can be provided, as desired.

It should be realized that the railway fiat cars of the invention haveready adaptability for loading truck trailers thereon, either endwise orsidewise from loading ramps or platforms, as desired. At the same, time,the structure of the invention, particularly that shown in FIGS. 7 and8, is adaptable on the same type of a flat car for carrying some type ofa detachable van body or freight container so as to remove it from itsnormal frame and pull it over onto the railway car and support meansprovided thereon.

As indicated, any suitable types of reenf-orcing means, including metalplates or wood beams or planks, may be used in making the load supportdecks and ends of the car. Conventional means connect the trucks to thecar frame which itself is reenforced as outlined herein and shown in thedrawings.

In view of the foregoing, it is contended that a novel and improved typeof a freight car has been provided which car has a minimum overallheight and is adapted to carry relatively high vertical loads, such asc0nventional freight trailers thereon. The novel railway car haseffective and improved load movement means so that a recessed centerload platform in the railway car can be elevated a controllable heightto the height of the ends of the railway car for facilitating loadingand unloading actions, when desired. This action also permits seating offreight means, such as a trailer, onto suitable support members providedon the elevated ends of the railway car. Obviously these load supportmembers, including the support plates 5's of FIGS. 9 through 11 can beremoved from the end portions of the rail- Way car when loading orunloading a freight trailer onto or from the car by endwise loadingaction. It will be seen that the load support platforms are carried onframe means of the railway car for transit action, but that the lift andsupport members come into removable engagement therewith for raising theload support platform and facilitating loading action by use of theroller means and arcuate movement of the load platform, as hereinafterdescribed.

It will be noted that the load support platform may be wider than thesupport frame of the railway car as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 brings out that a trunnion end 115 is secured to the loadplatform 9:; by an end cap 115d for limited rocking action therebetween.

Thus it is believed that the objects of the invention have beenachieved.

While several complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particularembodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. in a railway car having railway car trucks, a center sill, a pair ofside sills, said side sills extending the length of the railway car,said sills being secured to said car trucks to extend tl'ierebetween,said sills being of reduced height at the longitudinal center portionsthereof, said side sills having longitudinally open centers, a loadplatform, trunnion means securing said load platform to said center sillfor arcuate and vertical movement in the railway car, elongate supportmembers received in the open centers of said side sills and extendingthe length of and beyond the reduced height center portions thereof,hydraulic means carried by said side sills and engaging end portions ofsaid support members to lift them vertically to engage said loadplatform and control the vertical position thereof, said load platformbeing supported by said side and center sills when at its lowestposition, and roller means operatively supporting said load platform onsaid elongate support members when said support members protrude abovesaid side sills to facilitate arcuate movement of said load platform.

2. In a railway car having railway car trucks, a center sill, a pair ofside sills, said side sills extending the length of the railway car,said center and side sills being secured to said car trucks to extendtherebetween, said sills being of reduced height at the longitudinalcenter portions thereof, said side and center sills havinglongitudinally open centers, a load platform having reenforc ing crossbeams therein and longitudinally extending reenforcing rails on theupper surface thereof, trunnion means securing said load platform tosaid center sill for arcuate and vertical movement in the railway car,said trunnion means including a trunnion plate secured to a pair of saidcross beams at the center of said load platform, elongate supportmembers received in the open centers of said side sills and extendingthe length of and beyond the reduced height center portions thereof,said support members having elevated end portions thereon, and pairs ofhydraulic means carried by each of said side sills at longitudinallyspaced portions thereof and engaging said end portions of said supportmembers to lift them vertically to engage said load platform and controlthe vertical position thereof, said load platform being supported bysaid side and center sills when at its lowest position.

3. In a railway car having a reduced height center section and elevatedends thereon, a frame extending longitudinally of the car, a loadplatform, trunnion means positioning said load platform on said framefor arcuate and vertical movement on the reduced height portion of thecar, support member extending longitudinally of the car adjacent eachside thereof below but protruding beyond said load platform, and meansoperatively securing said support members at the protruding ends thereofto said frame for controlled vertical movement of said support mem' ersrelative to said frame, said support members engaging said load platformon vertical upward movement by said last-named means.

sevens 4. In a railway car, a frame including side sills which are openfrom the tops to the center portion thereof extending longitudinally ofthe car, a load platform, trunnion means positioning said load platformon said frame for arcuate and vertical movement on the car, a pair ofsupport members received in the open centers of said side sills for onlysliding vertical movement therein and extending longitudinally of thecar adjacent each side thereof below said load platform, said supportmembers extending longitudinally beyond both ends of said load platform,a plurality of means operatively securing each or" said support membersto said frame at longitudinally spaced portions of said support membersfor vertical movement of said support members relative to said frame,said support members engaging said load platform by vertical upwardmovement by said lastna-med means, and roller means operativelyconnected between said load platform and said support members tofacilitate arcuate movement of said load platform when carried by saidsupport members.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3 where said load platform has a pair ofparallel channel members secured thereto and extending longitudinallythereof, a dolly assembly engages said channel members for movementtherealong, a load engaging means is secured to said dolly assembly, andWinch and cable means are carried by said load platform and operativelyengage said dolly assembly to move it along said load platform wherebyload carriers can be moved onto and off said load platform.

6-. in a railway car having a center section lower than elevated endsthereon, a frame, a load platform, trunnion means operatively secured tosaid frame at the center section of the car, means securing saidtrunnion means to said load platform to permit limited tipping action ofsaid load platform relative to said trunnion means, support membersextending longitudinally of the car adjacent each side thereof belowsaid load platform, and a plurality of means operatively securing saidsupport members by engaging spaced portions of each such member to saidframe for vertical movement of said support members relative to saidframe, said support members engaging and raising said load platform onvertical upward movement by said last-named means whereby said loadplatform can be raised to the level of the ends of said car.

7. In a railway car, a frame, a load platform, trunnion meansoperatively secured to said frame at the center of the frame, meanssecuring said trunnion means to said load platform to make a unittherefrom for vertical movement and to permit limited tipping action ofsaid load platform relative to said trunnion means, a pair of supportmembers extending longitudinally of the car one adjacent each sidethereof below said load platform and extending longitudinallytherebeyond, and means operatively securing said support members at mefour protruding ends thereof to said frame for unitary vertical movementof said support members relative to said frame, said load platformresting on said frame when said support members are in their lowermostpositions.

8. In a railway car, a frame extending the length of the car, a loadplatform shorter than the frame, trunnion means operatively secured tosaid frame adjacent the center of the car, means securing said trunnionmeans to said load platform to permit limited tipping action of saidload platform relative to said trunnion means and for vertical movementof said load platform, support members extending longitudinally of thecar adjacent each side thereof below said load platform and extendinglongitudinally therebeyond, said support members being engageable withsaid load platform to control the vertical position thereof withreference to said frame, and a plurality of lift means operativelysecuring said support members at the protruding ends thereof to saidframe and adapted to provide vertical movement of said support membersrelative to said frame whereby 9 said load platform can be raised andlowered in said car by controlled movement of said support members.

9. In a railway car, a frame extending the length of the car, a loadplatform shorter than the frame, trunnion means operatively secured tosaid frame at the center of the car, means securing said trunnion meansto said load platform to permit vertical movement of said load platformon said trunnion means axis relative to said frame, support members forsaid load platform extending longitudinally of the car adjacent eachside thereof below said load platform and extending longitudinallytherebeyond at both ends of said load platform, means securing saidsupport members to said frame for only relative vertical movementtherebetween, and a plurality of lift means operatively securing saidsupport members at all four protruding ends thereof to said frame andadapted to provide vertical movement of said support members and loadplatform relative to said frame.

10. In a railway car, a frame extending the length of the car, a loadplatform shorter than the frame, trunnion means operatively secured tosaid frame adjacent the center of the car, means securing said trunnionmeans to said load platform to permit pivotal and vertical movement ofsaid load platform relative to said frame, support members for said loadplatform extending longitudinally of the car adjacent each side thereofbelow said load platform and extending longitudinally therebeyond, saidsupport members being carried on said frame and being movable belowvertically upper portions of said frame at which time said load platformis supported by said frame, and a plurality of lift means operativelysecuring said support members at the protruding ends thereof to saidframe and being adapted to provide vertical movement of said supportmembers relative to said frame to engage and lift said load platform.

11. In a railway car having railway car trucks, a center sill, a pair ofside sills, said side sills extending the length of the railway car,said sills being secured to said car trucks to extend therebetween, saidsills being of re duced height at the longitudinal center portionsthereof, said side sills having longitudinally open centers, 2. loadplatform, trunnion means securing said load platform to the top of saidcenter sill for arcuate and vertical movement in the railway car,elongate support members received in the open centers of said side sillsbelow said load platform and extending the length of and beyond thereduced height center portions thereof, said support members havingelevated end portions with relation to the reduced height centerportions of said sills, a plurality of hydraulic cylinder means carriedby said side sills and engaging all of said elevated end portions ofsaid support members to lift them vertically to engage said loadplatform and control the vertical position thereof, said load platformbeing supported by said side and center sills when at its lowestposition for load carrying action, and roller means operativelysupporting said load platform on said elongate support members when saidsupport members protrude above said side sills to facilitate arcuatemovement of said load platform.

12. In a railway car, a frame including side sills of generally U-shapein section and having open centers and top portions, said side sillsextending the length of the car and having a depressed center portion, aload platform supported on said frame center portion, trunnion meansoperatively secured to said frame and said load platform to providevertical and arcuate movement of said load platform on said trunnionmeans axis relative to said frame, a support member for said loadplatform extending longitudinally of the car adjacent each side thereofbelow said load platform, each said support member being telescopicallyreceived in a said side sill for vertical movement therein, roller meansoperatively carried by said support members to aid in positioning saidsupport members in said side sills for relative vertical movementtherebetween, and a plurality of lift means operatively engaging saidsupport members adjacent the ends thereof to provide vertical movementof said support members relative to said frame, said lift means beingcapable of depositing said load platform on said frame for normal loadcarrying action and to raise said support members up into engagementwith said load platform .to lift it above said frame, at least some ofsaid roller means operatively supporting said load platform when saidsupport members lift said load platform above said frame.

13. In a railway car, a frame including a pair of side sills ofgenerally U-shape in section and having open centers and top portions, aload platform adapted to be supported on said frame, trunnion meansoperatively secured to said frame and said load platform to providearcuate movement of said load platform on said trunnion means axisrelative to said frame, a pair of spaced parallel support members forsaid load platform extending longitudinally thereof below said loadplatform, each said support member being telescopically received in asaid side sill for vertical movement therein, and lift means operativelyengaging said support members adjacent all of the ends thereof toprovide vertical movement of said support members relative to saidframe, said lift means being adapted to deposit said load platform onsaid frame for normal load carrying action and to raise said loadplatform by said support members for arcuate movement on said trunnionmeans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,271,812 Wagner July 9, 1918 2,021,503 Fildes Nov. 19, 1935 2,033,119Bennett Mar. 10, 1936 2,058,891 Kellett Oct. 27, 1936 2,246,543 SmithJune 24, 1941 2,782,733 Ewing Feb. 26, 1957 2,786,590 Edwards et al.Mar. 26, 1957 2,821,936 Weissman Feb. 4, 1958 2,835,209 Kavanaugh May20, 1958

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR HAVING RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS, A CENTER SILL, A PAIR OFSIDE SILLS, SAID SIDE SILLS EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE RAILWAY CAR,SAID SILLS BEING SECURED TO SAID CAR TRUCKS TO EXTEND THEREBETWEEN, SAIDSILLS BEING OF REDUCED HEIGHT AT THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER PORTIONSTHEREOF, SAID SIDE SILLS HAVING LONGITUDINALLY OPEN CENTERS, A LOADPLATFORM, TRUNNION MEANS SECURING SAID LOAD PLATFORM TO SAID CENTER SILLFOR ARCUATE AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN THE RAILWAY CAR, ELONGATE SUPPORTMEMBERS RECEIVED IN THE OPEN CENTERS OF SAID SIDE SILLS AND EXTENDINGTHE LENGTH OF AND BEYOND THE REDUCED HEIGHT CENTER PORTIONS THEREOF,HYDRAULIC MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SIDE SILLS AND ENGAGING END PORTIONS OFSAID SUPPORT MEMBERS TO LIFT THEM VERTICALLY TO ENGAGE SAID LOADPLATFORM AND CONTROL THE VERTICAL POSITION THEREOF, SAID LOAD PLATFORMBEING SUPPORTED BY SAID SIDE AND CENTER SILLS WHEN AT ITS LOWESTPOSITION, AND ROLLER MEANS OPERATIVELY SUPPORTING SAID LOAD PLATFORM ONSAID ELONGATE SUPPORT MEMBERS WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS PROTRUDE ABOVESAID SIDE SILLS TO FACILITATE ARCUATE MOVEMENT OF SAID LOAD PLATFORM.